Bodine finally breaks through with Daytona victory
Saturday, February 16, 2008
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David Griffin / NASCAR Scene
Chevy Silverado 250 Craftsman Series Race Winner: Todd Bodine
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Johnny Benson and Kyle Busch made a valiant effort at a three-wide finish, but Todd Bodine managed to stay in front of the challengers and win a wild Chevy Silverado 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Daytona International Speedway.
Bodine and his Germain Racing crew ran in the top three virtually all night Friday, but their biggest asset was the ability to stay out of the crashes that continually marred the event – and to surge ahead of Busch and Benson at the line.
Just 20 laps into the race, Busch and Mike Skinner made contact, sparking a 10-truck crash. Busch was trying to pull down around a truck and said that he couldn’t hold his position. He incurred only minor damage and was able to continue the race, finishing second, but Skinner was knocked out of contention.
“I’m angry inside,” Bill Davis Racing’s Skinner said. “We had a great truck that could beat this field today and win the race and here we are with our nice Tundra wadded up in a ball over there because somebody wanted to be an idiot. We’ll rebound.”
Busch, driving the Billy Ballew Motorsports entry, said that he was fighting an ill-handling truck at the time.
“[That was] a product of a racing deal and my truck not exactly handling the way I wanted it to be … When I turned down to pass, my truck was bouncing all over the place all night, so it went ahead and grabbed the bump and it turned the front end so abruptly that I just held the wheel straight instead of correcting and overcorrecting and wrecking myself or the 8 truck [of Chad McCumbee] hoping I would be able to still stay clear of those guys on my inside,” he said. “Unfortunately it wasn’t to be … I apologize if I was to blame on that.”
MB Motorsports’ P.J. Jones truck caught fire and burned long enough to melt his window net to his firesuit. Kevin Harvick Inc.’s Jack Sprague, TRG Motorsports’ Andy Lally, Circle Bar Racing’s Brendan Gaughan, Wood Brothers Racing’s Jon Wood, Key Motorsports’ Chad Chaffin, HT Motorsports’ Ted Musgrave and ThorSport Racing’s Matt Crafton were also involved in the crash.
The race was barely restarted when Wyler Racing’s Terry Cook, TRG’s Mike Bliss and Roush Fenway Racing’s Joey Clanton were racing three wide in Turn 4. Clanton appeared to struggle for control in the middle. As he slipped low, the Bliss truck spun and came across the track, collecting Cook. Roush Fenway’s Colin Braun was also caught up in the crash.
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By the race’s midway point, only 23 of the original 36 trucks were running, though some would return to the track to limp to the finish.
Yet Bodine managed to stay with the leaders. With 20 laps remaining, drivers and crews were debating when to make the final pit stop.
On lap 85, they all headed to pit road. Roush Fenway Racing’s Erik Darnell led at that time, but was caught as he slowed to enter pit road. Both Bodine and Busch passed him as he hit the line. Darnell still managed to hold the lead at the line as he exited pit road, but somehow Bodine whipped past him as they blended into traffic.
Darnell then thought he had a vibration in his right-front tire and was trying to pit. Germain’s Justin Marks was right behind him, running third, and tried to whip around Darnell but made contact. Darnell spun and then hit Marks’ door, effectively ending Darnell’s night.
Marks recovered and would go on to finish eighth.
But it was his teammate who would hold on for the win. Busch finished second, followed by Benson, Red Horse Racing’s David Starr and Circle Bar Racing’s Rick Crawford.
In 33 tries, Bodine had walked away winless at Daytona. He’s raced at the track in all three premier NASCAR series, watched his brother, Geoff, win there. But he was winless at Daytona – until Friday night.
He led 49 of the race’s 100 laps to take the win.
“This is my 20th year of coming to this speedway, came here three years as a crew member, 17 years now driving. Finished second and third, crashed hard, burned a couple of times, this is finally [it]– 17 years to get here, but we’re here,” he said.
- Mentioned Drivers:
- Todd Bodine
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